Thursday, June 20, 2013

Making History: My Thoughts Anticipating the Decisions from the Supreme Court about DOMA and Prop 8

Well, the Supreme Court is supposed to announce their decisions about DOMA and Prop 8 in the end of June. What I've read claims this will happen on Monday, June 24th. I am so nervous, and excited.

First, a little background. DOMA stands for the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996. In part, it basically says that the federal government will only recognize legal state marriages between opposite-sex couples. Same-sex couples can't receive any privilege from the federal government. Proposition 8 is a ballot proposition in California that was voted for in 2008. Earlier that year, marriage rights had been granted for same-sex couples. This proposition reversed that change, ammending the consitution to (again) saying that marriage is between a man and a woman. Thankfully, the same-sex marriages that had been performed before this proposition are still valid, but Prop 8 caused a lot of uproar.

When I heard that the Supreme Court was going to rule on these I was shocked. I didn't realize that America was ready for big change so soon. A month or two before I heard that DOMA and Prop 8 were going to the Supreme Court, I remember thinking that it would happen in maybe five years. I am so glad I was wrong.

If the Supreme Court rules that DOMA and Prop 8 are unconstitutional, it will mean so much to me. Obviously, their ruling won't magically change things. But it will set in motion changes towards equality for non-heterosexual people when it comes to marriage (which I imagine will impact other rights as well.) So what will this change mean to me? If I choose to get married, a) I will have the freedom to marry whom I choose, and b) I can marry with peace, knowing that my friends and neighbors will have the same privilege that I do. If I have kids, I can know that they will grow up knowing that they are equal and never doubt whether their relationship is valid and deemed worthy by society.

I am passionate about equality for all and LGBTQI rights. I feel lucky to be in the middle of all this change happening around me, and to be a part of history. I may be biased, but I am very hopeful that the Supreme Court's ruling will be that DOMA and Prop 8 are unconstitutional. I am excited that history will be made on Monday, and I am excited for the change that is coming. :)

About Me

Hi, I'm Christen. I am 20. I am pursuing Gender Studies, Psycholgy, and Sociology at the University of Utah. I love spending time with my family and close friends, going out to eat, and learning about psychology, different cultures, and queer/gender studies. I strive to be open-minded and understanding.